ferent fungi, continued for from 12 to 16 days, showed that, in general, their capacity for assimilating saccharose was much less than that for glucose. Cases of apparent exception to this led to the assumption that such fungi were able to invert cane sugar, which further investigations are said to verify.

The nutrition physiology of mycotrophic plants, H. WEYLAND (Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. [Pringsheim], 51 (1912), No. 1, pp. 1–80, pl. 1, figs. 8).—This is an attempt at a chemico-physiological study of the nutritive relations of mycotrophic plants with their root fungi. Although most of the questions involved are regarded as still open, it seems to be the author's opinion that the association is one of genuine symbiosis so far as a number of nutritive compounds are concerned, and that in the numerous detailed observations here recorded encouraging progress has been made toward more fruitful investigations.

Studies on the autotropic readjustment of geotropic and mechanical curves of roots, S. V. SIMON (Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. [Pringsheim], 51 (1912), No. 1, pp. 81–176, figs. 6; abs. in Bot. Centbl., 120 (1912), No. 23, pp. 597–599).—This is an account of the author's investigations carried out with plantlets of Vicia faba, V. equina, Lupinus albus, and Zea mays in regard to the adjustive movements of the root tips after having been subjected to geotropic and mechanical bending.

It appears that the legumes examined showed two phases of adjustment, one called here the primary phase extending to the time of cessation of growth and the secondary phase extending beyond that point. Z. mays showed great differences as regards adjustment, some roots giving little or none. The detailed results are given in numerous tables.

A simple demonstration of the action of natural selection, J. A. HARRIS (Science, n. ser., 36 (1912), No. 934, pp. 713–715).—A report is given of a biometric investigation on selective mortality, made with a series of about 238,000 bean seedlings which were examined for morphological variations to serve as a basis for experiments in selection within the pure line.

Of 5,030 normal plants, 4.493 per cent died, while of 4,217 seedlings showing morphological variations from type, 6.782 per cent failed to reach maturity. The material studied was divided into 16 lots of about 10 pure lines each, and in all but one of the series the death rate was higher in the abnormal than among the normal plants. This fact is briefly discussed in its relation to natural selection.

The variability of Enothera lamarckiana and the problem of mutation, N. HERIBERT-NILSSON (Ztschr. Induktive Abstam. u. Vererbungslehre, 8 (1912), No. 1-2, pp. 89-231, pls. 3, figs. 36).—The author discusses in the light of his recent studies the variability of E. lamarckiana with special reference to the coloring of the veins and other portions of the leaves, the height of the plant, number of styles, form of flowers, etc., and whether the differences noted are sufficient to be considered mutations. He also discusses the variability of the so-called giant races, the species crossing, etc., after which he gives a criticism of the experiments of de Vries with this plant.

The author claims that . lamarckiana is a hybrid, that the mutants represent some of its variations, and that it is not an elementary species, as is gener ally held, but one that shows a great range of characters, many of which segregate according to Mendelian principles of dominance.

An extensive bibliography completes the work.

Mutation of Aspergillus niger, ELISABETH SCHIEMANN (Ztschr. Induktive Abstam. u. Vererbungslehre, 8 (1912), No. 1-2, pp. 1–35, pls. 2, figs. 18).—As a result of cultures of A. niger, the author has established two constant mutants, which are designated as A. fuscus and A. cinnamomeus.

A case of xenia in beans, J. DANIEL (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris], 155 (1912), No. 1, pp. 59, 60).-The author briefly describes a case of xenia that occurred as a result of crossing two species of beans (Phaseolus multiflorus and P. vulgaris). The behavior of the subsequent generations of the hybrids is to be studied later.

FIELD CROPS.

[Field crops experiments in Alaska], C. C. GEORGESON ET AL. (Alaska Stas. Rpt. 1911, pp. 17-19, 24-26, 27-29, 33-44, 47-53, 59-61, 66, pls. 5).--The fieldcrop work at Sitka was confined to the test of a long list of varieties of potatoes on comparatively small plats. Gold Coin, grown in a single row 1,170 ft. long, the largest plat in the test, yielded at the rate of 456 bu. per acre.

At the Rampart Station work was continued in the cross-breeding of barley. A beardless hybrid under test matured in 80 days and showed other qualities of value under Alaska conditions. Selections were also made of the earliest maturing and best individual plants from each of a number of the best varieties. The improvement of oats was attempted by selection only. Finnish Black again ranked as the best variety, but Great Mogul, a black oat, and Banner and Swedish Select, white varieties, also gave promising yields. In tests of winter grain, winter rye proved much hardier than winter wheat. Kharkov, the hardiest variety of winter wheat tried. was badly winterkilled in the winter of 1911-12. It was found that this variety needs a winter protection of at least 30 in. of snow. The more resistant varieties of winter rye were winterkilled from 25 to 50 per cent.

In a series of fertilizer tests with oats, sodium nitrate, potassium sulphate, and superphosphate were applied singly and combined at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre. The average percentage of increase from the use of sodium nitrate was 22 per cent, from the mixture of all 3 fertilizers in equal parts 14 per cent, from potassium sulphate 12 per cent, and from superphosphate 2 per cent. A fertilizer test with potatoes with these same applications resulted also in favor of sodium nitrate, being followed by the complete mixture. All fertilizer experiments thus far conducted have indicated that nitrogen is the element deficient in the soil.

Experiments with potatoes showed that Extra Early Eureka, Extra Early Pioneer, Extra Early Triumph, Irish Cobbler, Gold Coin, Hamilton Early, and Early Ohio are of good quality and appear adapted to the conditions of the interior. Irish Cobbler is regarded as especially well adapted to culture in that region on account of some of its favorable qualities, such as sufficient toughness of skin, which facilitates its handling as a market variety.

Among the varieties of grasses grown awnless brome grass came through the second winter in good shape and made an early spring growth. An acre of the grass yielded fully a ton of fine hay. Timothy seeded with the brome grass wintered perfectly but made a very light yield. Red fescue and Kentucky blue grass are reported as also making promising growth. A number of legumes, including Vicia cracca, Mountain alfalfa, Grimm alfalfa, sand lucern, and alsike clover survived the second winter in good shape and made a fair growth. V. cracca and alsike clover were the only ones that produced seed. Turkestan alfalfa made a good growth and was mowed the first week in September. Several hundred alfalfa plants, representing the varieties of Siberian alfalfas grown at the South Dakota Station, were set out, and although not all lived, those that survived shipment and transplanting made a fair growth.

At the Fairbanks Station 27 varieties of potatoes were grown in 100-ft. rows and all made good yields. Three acres of Eureka, Early Ohio, and Gold Coin averaged 6 tons per acre over the field on second year unfertilized ground.

Five acres of timothy drilled thickly on June 23 soon covered the ground and made a growth of from 6 to 10 in. during the season. A few leading varieties of wheat, oats, and barley were selected and seeded in plats 30 by 30 ft. on May 30. These grains all came up very quickly and made such a rank growth that they lodged before the heads were completely formed. This retarded the ripening but all matured good seed. Three varieties of spring wheat and one of spring rye all filled well but had not fully ripened before the killing frost of August 31. A half acre of North Finnish oats seeded on May 16 was headed by July 4 and thoroughly ripe and harvested August 11, the earliest to ripen of any known spring seeding in the locality. An acre of Banner oats seeded June 1 on high land sloping slightly to the north matured and was harvested for seed. Kharkov winter wheat and 2 fall ryes seeded August 5 were partly winterkilled, but matured perfectly by August 10 the next year. Oats was again grown successfully for hay.

At the Kodiak Station over 100 tons of dry hay were put up from the native grasses and a large quantity of silage was procured from the same source. The hay and silage were made principally from the beach grass but about 25 tons of native blue top were put up for silage to test its properties.

Notes are given ou cooperative culture tests by farmers in the region of Copper Center.

Trials with alfalfa of different origin, P. HANSEN (Tidsskr. Landbr. Planteavl, 19 (1912), No. 3, pp. 377-411).—Trials were conducted at 3 Danish experiment stations during the years 1900 to 1911 with 55 kinds of alfalfa seed grown in Hungary, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkestan, and the United States.

The alfalfa from the Hungarian seed gave the largest crop of hay for 3 consecutive years and proved best under Danish conditions. German sand lucern ranked next in value, being followed in the order mentioned by French, Italian, and Russian alfalfa. The American, Spanish, and Turkestan alfalfas gave only small yields.

Experiments on cutting alfalfa at Bornholm, P. HANSEN (Tidsskr. Landbr. Planteavl, 19 (1912), No. 3, pp. 412–420).-From 1908 to 1911, different plats of alfalfa at the Aakirkeby experiment station were cut 1, 2, 3, or 4 times during the season.

By cutting only once every year a large hay crop was secured, the plats were easily kept clean, and the plants were vigorous, but the quality of the hay was reduced through woody stems and a large loss of leaves. These objections were less pronounced with 2 cuttings a year, while 3 cuttings gave the largest yields of hay of good quality with the smallest loss of leaves. The finest quality of hay was obtained with 4 cuttings but the yields secured even from excellent stands were considerably lower than from the other plats and the stand was gradually weakened, thus favoring the growth and the spreading of weeds.

Winter barley, H. B. DERR (U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bul. 518, pp. 18, figs. 4). After presenting notes on varieties of winter barley, the regions in which the crop is grown, and the soils which are adapted to it, the author discusses fertilizers and manures, rotations with reference to barley, preparations of the seed and the seed bed, sowing the seed, and cultivating, harvesting, and improving the crop. Brief notes are also given on the various uses of winter barley.

A trial with white clover of different origin at Svalöf, H. WITTE (Sveriges Utsädesför. Tidskr., 22 (1912), No. 5, pp. 273–283, pl. 1, fig. 1).—Ninė varieties of white clover of Danish, German, English, and Italian origin were grown in small plats from 1910 to 1912. The Danish seed gave the largest average yields and the best stand during the second and third seasons.

Studies on climate and crops. IV, Corn crops in the United States, H. ARCTOWSKI (Bul. Amer. Geogr. Soc., 44 (1912), No. 10, pp. 745–760, figs. 16).—' This is a continuation of a series of articles on this subject (E. S. R., 23, p. 732) and gives the results of a study of the geographical distribution of the corn crop for the years 1891 to 1909 as shown by census figures and statistics published by this Department. Certain suggested correlations with climatic conditions are briefly discussed.

Cultivation of cotton in Russian Asia, M. LAUWICK (Rev. Écon. Internat., 9 (1912), IV, No. 3, pp. 502-522, fig. 1).—This article discusses the possible development of Russian industries without American cotton, and the possibility of increasing the production of cotton in Turkestan. The obstacles noted in the way of an increased production are the high cost of living, high wages, and an inadequate credit system.

Cotton in the Orient and on the Mediterranean, Y. M. GOBLET (Rev. Econ. Internat., 9 (1912), IV, No. 3, pp. 523–544).-Historical observations are made concerning cotton production in America and the Orient, and the quality of the products, extension of the industry and the general economic consequences of an increase of cotton growing around the Mediterranean Sea are discussed.

Packing and marketing of cotton, J. M. CARSON (U. S. House Representatives 62. Cong., 3. Sess., Doc. 1175, pp. 39, pls. 8).—This document presents a study of the present wasteful methods of packing and marketing cotton, together with suggestions for their improvement in the way of baling, handling, storing, sampling, selling, shipping, compressing, etc. Their importance is illus trated by showing that while only about 2 per cent of the corn and 13 per cent of the wheat produced in the United States are annually exported, over 65 per cent of the cotton is sold in foreign countries, bringing to the United States in exchange $559,000,000 in 1911, a sum about equal to the balance of trade.

Lime-sulphur v. Bordeaux mixture as a spray for potatoes, II, M. T. MUNN (New York State Sta. Bul. 352, pp. 319–326, pl. 1).-The experiments reported were in the main a repetition of previous work and the results essentially a confirmation of data already noted (E. S. R., 27, p. 237). The experiment field included 15 rows 212 ft. long, of which 5 each were sprayed with Bordeaux and lime-sulphur and 5 were left unsprayed. The concentrated limesulphur solution consisted of 38 lbs. of 95 per cent pure lime, 80 lbs. of highgrade finely divided sulphur, and 50 gal. of water which was diluted at the rate of 2 gal. of the concentrate to 50 gal. of water. The Bordeaux mixture used was prepared according to the 6:4:50 formula. The first application made July 9 when the plants were from 6 to 8 in. high was followed by other applications at intervals of 2 weeks, 6 applications being made in all.

The use of the Bordeaux mixture prolonged the life of the plants about 2 weeks and increased the yield of marketable tubers at the rate of 111.5 bu. per acre, while rows receiving 6 applications of lime-sulphur died earlier even than the check rows. Tip burn and late blight (Phytophthora infestans) were largely controlled by the Bordeaux mixture, while lime-sulphur dwarfed the plants and aggravated the tip burn, although it did not appear to burn the foliage. The results further indicated that the effect of lime-sulphur on the late blight and rot is uncertain.

Lime-sulphur not a good potato spray, F. H. HALL (New York State Sta. Bul. 352, popular ed., pp. 2).—A popular edition of the above.

Potato spraying in 1911, B. F. LUTMAN (Vermont Sta. Bul. 162, pp. 36-45, fig. 1). The experiments here reported in continuation of previous work (E. S.

R., 26, p. 53) were undertaken to throw further light on the stimulation of potato plants by the application of Bordeaux mixture. It has been observed that sprayed as compared with unsprayed potato plants yield more tubers even when no fungus diseases occur and an effort was made to determine whether this is due to a daily increase in the amount of starch produced within the sprayed plants on account of the application of the copper mixture, or to an increase in amount of starch brought about by the lengthened life of the plant during September, sprayed plants, as a rule, living from 10 days to 2 weeks longer than unsprayed ones.

To determine whether an actual daily increase resulted, potatoes were harvested at various times. The first harvest on September 2 yielded 194.8 bu. per acre from the sprayed and 170 bu. from the unsprayed plats; the second, September 16, 299.8 bu. from the sprayed and 210.8 bu. from the control area; and the final harvest, October 20, showed 240.3 bu. per acre from the sprayed plats and 202.1 bu. from the unsprayed.

Other compounds described in the bulletin were compared on acre plats with ordinary 5:5:50 Bordeaux mixture to observe the relative effect on the yield. In every case where copper was used the plat showed an increase over unsprayed plats, but the best results were secured where the ordinary Bordeaux mixture had been applied. A plat sprayed with silver-nitrate-soap yielded less than the control plat. In general, the results seem to confirm the deduction made from the previous work that the application of Bordeaux mixture brings about a daily increase in the amount of starch produced per plant.

A summary of the results obtained at the station during 21 seasons' work in potato spraying shows an average yield per acre for the period of 263 bu. for the sprayed plats and of 159 bu. for the unsprayed plats, or an increase of 65 per cent. During the 4 years 1908-1911, inclusive, when there was absolutely no blight, the sprayed potatoes yielded an average of 66 bu. per acre, or 50 per cent, more than did the unsprayed crop.

Work of the pure-seed laboratory, H. L. BOLLEY (North Dakota Sta. Rpt. 1911, pt. 1, pp. 61-98, figs. 2).-Brief notes are given on the equipment of the seed laboratory and a summary of the number of samples of seed tested and their average percentage of purity and germination is presented in tabular form. Various points with reference to seeds of certain crop groups and regarding the characteristics of the seed of particular crops are discussed. The number of species of foreign seeds found in the samples examined was as follows: Alfalfa 100, brome grass 103, alsike clover 30, red clover 97, flax 122, millet 43, oats 40, timothy 90, and wheat 62.

Notes are also given on cooperative experiments in progress with wheat and with small seeded Russian sunflower grown for oil production. The results of a limited experiment in planting wheat in trenches 10 in. deep and drawing soil to the plants as they grow for the purpose of observing the influence of this treatment upon tillering showed that clean soil and clean seed are a necessity as root diseases destroyed the plants.

Experiments to test the growth of hard seeds of clover and alfalfa in different kinds of soil showed in general a low percentage of germination and indicated that such seeds must be treated in some manner to make them more viable. The results of treating a large number of samples with hot and cold water, steam, different chemicals including sulphuric acid, various kinds of soil, and also scratching the seeds are reported in a table and briefly noted. A considerable range in the possible treatment of hard seeds was found to exist.